Protect People From Rabies Without Killing Innocent Dogs

Target: Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States

Goal: Demand the U.S. supply post-exposure rabies vaccines to Indonesia to help prevent the spread of the horrific disease and to stop the mass killing of dogs.

On May 20, 2022, a two-and-a-half-year old boy died in Bali after being bitten by a dog infected with rabies. Though rabies is treatable with post-exposure vaccination, Indonesia and many other countries facing rabies outbreaks do not have access to these vaccines in the same way that countries–such as the U.S.–do. With the proper resources made available, this boy’s death could easily have been prevented.

Rabies has been a rather persistent problem for those in Indonesia– occurring in at least 24 of the country’s 33 provinces– for about two decades. The country has seen sporadic outbreaks of canine rabies since 2008 and, still, rabies vaccinations remain largely unavailable. Due to the limited vaccination resources accessible in Bali, the government has taken more extreme measures in response. Rather than vaccinating outbreaks to prevent the possibility of its spreading, the government is attempting to resolve this problem through the mass destruction of community dogs. Many countries–including Indonesia–have tried to purge dogs to get rid of rabies before. In 2008, Indonesia eliminated hundreds of thousands of dogs–some of which were already vaccinated against rabies–in an attempt to eradicate the disease. But this measure has proven rather ineffective time and time again, as rabies continues to resurge.

Alternative and more humane solutions exist. In fact, Indonesia actually had been very successful with vaccinating dogs in the past–following the 2008 culling–and had almost gotten rid of rabies for good. Unfortunately, due to COVID 19 restrictions and a lack of funds, Indonesia has had to return to the brutal killing of innocent dogs.

If granted more extensive access to vaccinations, people in Indonesia would be able to focus their efforts on more viable, longer term solutions, such as helping to vaccinate dogs once again in order to achieve herd immunity. The combination of post-exposure vaccination for humans that get bitten and vaccinations for the majority of dogs is the most reliable option if we want to end rabies once and for all. Sign this petition to urge the U.S. government to supply Indonesia with vaccines and to save the lives of thousands of humans and dogs in the process.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear President Biden,

Indonesia has recently faced a resurgence of canine rabies. Just a few weeks ago, a two-and-a-half-year old boy was bitten by a rabid dog and died simply because he couldn’t get access to a vaccine. His death–and many others–could have easily been prevented with proper resources.

Indonesia has been battling this vicious disease since 2008, which exists in 24 of the country’s 33 provinces. The government, in response, has taken to a mass culling of community dogs in an attempt to eradicate the disease. However, this purging has proven unnecessary and largely ineffective, and fails to eliminate rabies in the longer term. The more reliable response is the vaccination of at least 70% of the dogs to achieve herd immunity, while also still having access to post-exposure vaccines for any human who is bitten.

Indonesia does not currently have the resources necessary to fight this vicious disease. That is why we, Mr. President, have the moral obligation to help these people who do not have the vaccine access that we do, and these dogs that are suffering as a result. Please distribute rabies vaccines to Indonesia and free them of this disease once and for all.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Pijarn Jangsawang